Best Cabin Camping near Riverdale Park, MD

We tent camped at Pine Tree Associates. They are a nudist club with a very nice camp ground. There is a bath house with outdoor showers. Camping fees include access to a large outdoor pool, an indoor pool and a hot tub. There is room for tenting and campers.

We tent camped there two years ago,  at one of their premium sights ( totally worth the extra $) I grew up camping and had never been at a campground that was this clean. I mean the bathrooms were pristine at all times. ( I actually felt bad when a moth flew in with me the one night because there weren't any bugs in there, EVER). They have 2 pools, a hot tub, $1.00 putt putt ( great coarse, with all proceeds going to a childrens hospital) splash pad, laundry,  game room, cafe, playgrounds....It is located fairly close to DC and the zoo. The only downside, is that it's near highways, so at times, you can hear traffic and you are forced to buy firewood from the campground and it could get pricey because there arent any local sellers like most places We had an amazing, relaxing stay and I would highly recommend staying there if you're visiting DC or just passing through.

PWFP has a number of large group cabin campgrounds available to rent, with capacities of 75 to 200. They are called Goodwill (#1), Mawavi (#2), Oreda (#3), Pleasant (#4), Happyland (#5). My organization has rented 3 of the 5 different cabin camps over the years. These camps were made by the CCC and even used by the then-CIA during WWII. They are extremely rustic and you should expect to see lots of bugs, snakes, etc. during your stay, and it adds to the experience in a great way. The cabins have beds with waterproof mattresses, closets, screen windows, and electricity, but no fans or AC (bring fans!!). There are central shower houses, central dining halls (with full modern kitchens, fridge, etc), and extra buildings called craft lodges (which have tables for activities, discussions, etc.). Sites have extras like fire rings with seating, swimming ponds, hiking trails, grassy playing fields, etc. but I’m not sure they all have all of these. They’re all among the trees and shady. The PWFP rangers and website have lots of great info on the local flora & fauna (best moths I’ve ever seen in my life here). This is a great place for a school overnight or scouting. They’ve been working on renovating them since we started renting them in 2006, so make sure to tour all the different camps to get the one that meets your needs best. Full info is at https://www.nps.gov/prwi/planyourvisit/upload/Group%20Cabin%20Camping.pdf

Our family stayed here in a cabin on a long weekend trip to DC. This campground was full of stuff to do and we didn't even get to do a lot of it. We stayed in a cabin for 2 nights and had a great time. The campground had a climbing wall on one afternoon. There are miles of trails and my gkids enjoyed the nature scavenger hunt. You even get a prize when you finish. This park has too many amenities to list. They had a campfire complete with s'mores followed by hayrides. Great family friendly campground. We will definitely be going back.

They have a few tent camping spots as well as cabins. Just call ahead. I just showed up and got a perfect camp spot with a view of the sunrise and access to the private beach.

The Hilton area campground is unique because, unlike the Hollofield area of the park, it doesn't allow RVs and its tent sites are non-electric. However, a tiny cabin experience with electricity is available... within the same loop as non-electric tent camping. My non-electric tent campsite was surrounded by brightly lit cabins, even unoccupied all of their porch lights stay on all night. It doesn't make the upper half of the campground ideal for stargazing. The other reviewers are correct that the lower half of the loop is situated lower in the valley which will make any rain you get more difficult, so avoid booking a site at the very bottom. Overall the campground and state park deserve 4 stars because from what I could see tent pads were level, firepits had grill gates, showers were hot, and staff were cleaning and maintaining the grounds everyday. But be safe; prepare detailed offline navigation if you use the trails surrounding the camp. I definitely got lost relying on blazes for what I thought was supposed to be the Charcoal Trail.

Smallwood State Park offers a more intimate setting for camping. There is only 1 circle for camping with tents and cabins intermingled. The sites are moderately separated giving some privacy. They are in short distance from the water. There is a playground, bathhouse, and historical buildings that are accessible to campers. There are hiking trials, but none are two extensive. The trails can be massively over grown at times making some inaccessible.

A popular spot for afternoon walks and morning workouts, the trails are active with local residents and far away visitors.

You can also gain access to the Patapsco River by traveling down into the river valley along the Forest Glen Trail. This trail follows the Saw Mill Branch Stream and can connect with several trails to make for very interesting hiking adventures. The area also has a small campground with six mini-cabins and 12 basic campsites.

This is a small gem of a state park campground, one of only two is the massive Patapsco Valley State Park. It’s a bit odd getting here through a suburban neighborhood, but the Hilton area is great. It seem like this area is, possibly unintentionally, geared toward children. There is a massive playground, nature play space, sensory trail, and a small nature center. There are a lot of easy, but beautiful hikes.

The campground is on the smaller side. You get a fire pit and cooking crate, and a picnic table. The crushed stone at the sites isn’t comfortable for tents, and they won’t let you pitch it on the ground, so bring extra pads and alternative ways to secure the tent to the ground. There are helpful and friendly camp hosts always on duty. The bathhouse is nothing special, but it’s well maintained and clean. The best part of this campground are the neat mini cabins. Small one room cabins that have electricity and heat. They are a nice touch for those that want to camp, but not completely “rough it.” We found everything reasonably priced.

Remember: no alcohol or firewood can be brought into the park. Firewood can only be purchased on site due to harmful insects. But the money goes toward the parks volunteer program.

This is a very nice small campground that is great for kids!

Gambrill State Park is great for those just starting out to camp. It is located in Frederick, about an hour outside of Baltimore and Washington D.C. Though the campground is small, each site looks pretty unique. It offers tent sites, electric sites, and 4 cabins. All of the campsites are pet friendly as is Cabin 18. The restroom facility offer hot showers and multiple stalls. One downside is that there is no dishwashing station. You must bring your own dishwashing tubs.

As it is small and located conveniently off of the highway, it is used by a lot of passerbys. This area is very rich in Civil War history so many people will stay at Gambrill as it is a great middle point between Gettysburg and Antietam Battlefields. Right outside the park is the Frederick watershed where many locals take advantage of the trails for mountain biking. The park itself is well known for hiking trails that take you up and around the mountain. Every hiking trail except for the white trail allows mountain biking and horseback riding. Visit in May and the forest will be filled with songbirds. If you are lucky, you may see foxes and bears along with the standard woodland creatures. If you are extremely lucky, you may see the ever elusive bobcat.

site 16 will get you furthest away from other campers and give you some privacy. It's a nice getaway into the mildly wooded area of Gambrills, but provides plenty of space for multiple tents. Facilities are pretty standard, not too dirty but yet not too clean. Definitely worthwhile to get away from the busyness of life while only having to travel a short distance from bigger MD cities

Nice small campsite in MD not too far from DC. One negative was that when it rains it really flushes through the grounds. We had a site on the lower end of the loop and our site was hard to set up as we arrived during a storm and it was very wet even after the rain died down. Another negative was after the storm for the next few days we heard trees falling nearby. Where we were hiking. 😬 The positives are as others have pointed out there is a huge park for kids- it’s not within walking distance for little kids but it’s a very short drive by the entrance to the park. There’s also another small park on the loop. The restrooms were central and well maintained. We found a small river and swimming hole at the bottom of the hill off to the side opposite the cabins/park. All sites had a picnic table and fire ring. Firewood available from camp host. Hiking poles would have been good for the trails when we had a kid in a pack on our back. Overall a nice close small campground.